David with Logitech Harmony 550

Logitech Harmony 550
When I bought the Logitech Harmony 550 a year and a half ago for my father-in-law, it was the cheapest Harmony on the market, and it still is today. He didn't like it though--the buttons were too small and he had to squint at the readout--so I dutifully gave him my beloved flyswatter, the Home Theater Master MX-700, and took the Harmony for myself. It was a bittersweet trade. At the time, I had defended the MX-700 to Harmony fanboys at work, and anybody else who would listen, calling it the best clicker on the planet.

After a year with the 550 though, I'm changing my tune: Harmony is just the best. I'm not saying the entry-level 550 is the best Harmony remote though. I still complain about the counterintuitive arrangement of the Menu, Guide, Exit, and Info keys, and I hate the undistinguishable 2x4 grid of transport controls at the top. But I can live with those problems, because what matters to me is getting the Harmony operating system for a low price.

It's just cake to set up and use. When I get a new piece of gear or have to test something in my system at home, I fire up the software and have it integrated in moments. My tech-impatient wife, who was able to understand and use the remote immediately, swears by the Help function. On the cheat sheet to my home's tech for house-sitters, the section devoted to the entertainment system takes up one line: "Use Harmony Remote." Thanks, Harmony.

--David Katzmaier

November 21, 2008 10:52 AM PST

Photo by: David Katzmaier/CNET Networks